A Tour of the Zooâ€™s Art

Text by Paula
Brookmire

Sculpture garden, art museum, poetry tour, totem walk,
flowing fabric art, flower designs—did you know your Zoo offers so many types
of culture? There’s a discovery around every curve. In between greeting the
animals, you can go on an art tour. Or hunt for the 54 poetry displays. It’s a
great way to explore the Milwaukee County Zoo. Many of the artworks were
donated to or commissioned by the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) and
then presented to the Zoo. The poetry installations were designed and/or
created by ZSM artists. Another art display greets you as you enter the Zoo trhough the U.S Bank Gathering Place: an array of dramatic animal photos by Richard Brodzeller, a ZSM photographer. See how many sculptures, paintings and other artworks
you can find. Add in the animal art made from flowers and plants created by Zoo
horticulturalists, and you have more of a challenge.

Go on a virtual tour here
of Zoo artworks (a few of which you can see only online). You
also can view a slide show of some of the Zoo’s topiary and flowers. The
first photo below is of a flamingo-inspired sculpture and clock that has long been a
landmark at the Zoo. This artwork once greeted visitors at the front of the Zoo
and then was moved, appropriately, to the Flamingo Patio next to the flamingo
yard.